How often do we hear someone say, “They got lucky” when talking about a person’s success? Whether it’s a thriving business, a breakthrough app, a best-selling book, or an athlete at the peak of their career, the world loves to package years of struggle into a single word: luck.
But the truth is, luck is just the visible tip of an iceberg that rests on a deep foundation of sacrifices, consistency, risks, discipline, failures, criticism, and rejection. What people see as an overnight success is often the result of years of unseen effort.
The Sacrifices Behind the “Luck”
Every achievement comes at a cost. The sleepless nights, the missed family gatherings, the weekends spent working instead of relaxing—all of these are sacrifices successful people make long before the world calls them lucky. They invest time, energy, and resources into their craft, often with no immediate reward.
Consistency: The Boring Yet Powerful Secret
Talent is overrated if it lacks consistency. It’s easy to be motivated for a few weeks, but true success comes from showing up every single day, even when no one is watching, even when it feels like nothing is working. The people we call lucky today were once grinding in silence, practicing their craft when no one cared, improving little by little until they broke through.
The Risks That Define the Journey
Every success story involves moments of uncertainty—decisions that could either lead to a breakthrough or a complete failure. Entrepreneurs invest their savings into an idea that might not work. Artists and writers pour their hearts into projects with no guarantee of recognition. Athletes push their bodies beyond limits, risking injury for the dream of making it big. Without taking risks, there’s no real progress.
Discipline: The Unseen Force
Success isn’t about passion alone; it’s about discipline. It’s about doing what needs to be done, even when you don’t feel like it. The discipline to wake up early, to train when exhausted, to study when distractions are tempting—these are the habits that build “luck” over time.
Failure, Criticism, and Rejection: The True Tests
Ask any successful person about their journey, and you’ll hear stories of rejection letters, failed launches, lost investments, and harsh criticism. But here’s the difference: the ones who made it didn’t stop. They treated failure as feedback, criticism as fuel, and rejection as redirection.
When the World Calls It “Luck”
By the time the world notices, the hard work has already been done. The sacrifices have been made. The risks have been taken. The failures have been endured. And suddenly, people say, “Wow, they got lucky.” But those who walked the journey know better.
So the next time you hear someone dismiss success as luck, remember: luck is just what the world calls it when they finally notice the years of invisible work.
Kenrick Vaz 